Work Text:
You were watching a game of poker with your boyfriend, Aventurine playing. You had absolutely no idea how to play poker, or anything related to card games. But you liked watching Aventurine playing. He looked like a true professional, his poker face never disappearing.
You sat right next to him, quietly observing the game. You didn’t understand a thing, but Aventurine insisted on bringing you with him whenever he was playing. He considered you as his lucky charm. It didn’t bother you though. You cherished every second you could spend with your lover.
“I’m going to grab a drink. You need one?” - You said, standing up, and looking down at him. He turned up his head, his purple eyes meeting yours.
“Sure. I’ll have anything.” - He replied, with a smooth, calm tone. For this one moment, his poker face disappeared. He looked at you in a gentle way.
You walked to the bar, and looked at the menu, thinking about which drink to choose. You came to a conclusion. A Glimmering Dreamscape for you, and a Metropolitan Roam for Aventurine.
You thought it was the best choice. You knew his favorites very well. You observed his choices every time you accompanied him to a game. And he appeared to like strong drinks. And the colors of this specific drink were pretty as well. You were sure he would like it.
You took the drinks in your hands, and approached his table proudly. You stopped at the couch where Aventurine was sitting. He was focused on the game. You suddenly spotted something strange. His left hand was under the table, clenching his fists onto something. That hand.. seemed to be shaking as well.
Your heart skipped a beat. You just stood there, right next to his couch, with an anxious facial expression. You knew he was pretty messed up in general. He had some mental breakdowns in front of you before. He cried on your shoulders sometimes. It took him too much time to accept his feelings, and let himself be vulnerable around you. He didn’t trust anyone, so it was hard for you to earn his trust. But you eventually did, and now, you make sure to do anything to keep it.
You sat back at your seat on the couch, next to Aventurine. You put both drinks on the table, your eyes constantly darting between the drinks and his left hand under the table. Your heart felt heavier than usual. You wanted to do something. But you just couldn’t. You wanted to hug him as tight as you could…
He noticed your presence. He looked at the drinks, and then you. A small smile appeared on his face.
“Thanks love. This one is my favorite.” - He whispered. But he didn’t take the drink immediately. He turned his gaze back on his cards. You could feel his voice was off. This rose your anxiety.
You were concerned about him. Your eyes now completely locked on his left hand. His hand was still trembling. Perhaps because of fear. You could sense his feelings easily. You knew him a bit too well. He had this all or nothing personality shown to the outer world.. Even risking his own life in some cases. It looked as if he was brave, and stubborn. But inside, he still feared losing his life. He was a normal human being after all.
You looked up, to check on the game. Everything seemed to go well. His opponents didn’t appear to be shady or difficult. You didn’t know much of poker, but after watching so many games, you could tell when was a game a heated battlefield or a friendly chattery. You weren’t so sure why did he feel anxious.
You tried hard to remember if he did clench his fists under the table before. If one thing you didn’t observe, was his playstyle probably. He always looked courageous while playing. So you never really paid attention to it exclusively. This made you wonder if there were more things he hadn’t told you.
You finally looked at Aventurine. His face didn’t show any traces of stress. He held a perfect poker face. You watched his body language. The only odd thing was his left hand, shaking under the table.
You slowly reached for his left arm, and caressed it. He took notion of your action immediately, looking down at his left arm. Then, he looked at you. You flashed him with an encouraging smile. His lips twitched, curling upwards slightly. He looked back to his cards, sending out a small sigh of relief.
You wanted him to know he is not alone. That you are with him. And that he shouldn’t be scared. His face looked a bit more relived, althrough it was hard to tell from an expressionless poker face, you were sure he felt a lot more safe. And that filled your heart with warmth.
Your hand slowly moved down to his hand, and started caressing his thumb. His hand was warm, but you could feel it was shaking. Your touch was gentle, and soft. You could see his face getting more and more relaxed.
Your hand devoured his, with a loose grip. It didn’t take much time till your hands intertwined. You could feel the warm chips in his palms, that he was holding onto so desperately.
He looked away from his cards again, his eyes directly pointing at you sitting next to him. You looked up, to meet his gaze.
“I love you.” - These words left his mouth. Your cheeks felt warm. You could feel his thumb caressing your thumb in slow, small circles. At this moment, you felt like the happiest person ever.
“I love you too.” You replied, unable to hide your smile anymore. You could notice that even Aventurine had let his guard down, with a small smile appearing on his face as well.
He leaned in, and gave you a quick small kiss on your tender lips. You missed his little kisses for so long now. It wasn’t too long, just a quick intimate moment, but it was enough to fill your heart with warmth. And it surely made him feel blissful as well.
You took a sip of your drink. You realized he didn’t even try his drink.
“Feeling thirsty?” - You asked, holding his drink in your hand. He took a glance at the drink.
“Yeah, I do.” - He chuckled softly, and took the glass, savoring the taste carefully. - “You are very perceptive..”
You giggled. The poker game went well. You caressing his left hand, and sipping your drink. Isn’t that so idillic? There were no more verbal interactions between you till the end of the game. You enjoyed each moment with him, holding his hand tightly.